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J.F.K. Airport Baggage Handler Who Smuggled Cocaine in Planes Is Sentenced to Life

An airline baggage handler who was convicted of trafficking millions of dollars’ worth of drugs in the bellies of commercial jets was sentenced to life in prison on Tuesday, putting an emphatic stamp on a case that revealed rampant theft and corruption by some airline employees.

The baggage handler, Victor Bourne, who spent many years working for American Airlines at Kennedy International Airport, led a ring of airline employees in Barbados and New York who used their specialized knowledge of planes to stow cocaine behind panels, beyond the detection of swarming customs agents, sometimes filling spaces in ways that could have put passengers’ lives in danger.

During a trial last year, employees who pleaded guilty and were cooperating with the government described an airport underworld that would horrify any traveler, testifying about how they and their colleagues at American Airlines broke into passengers’ luggage for laptops, liquor and perfume, all while moving huge quantities of drugs. The government, with cinematic flair, called the conspiracy the “Bourne Organization.” Nineteen airline employees either pleaded guilty or were convicted. Mr. Bourne, unlike his former colleagues, pleaded not guilty. He testified in his own defense, saying that all the witnesses who testified against him had lied. At his sentencing in Federal District Court in Brooklyn on Tuesday, the judge who presided over the trial emphatically concluded that it was Mr. Bourne who had lied.

The judge, Nicholas G. Garaufis, pointed to what he called perjured testimony when meting out the life sentence, an unusually harsh punishment for a convicted drug trafficker.

The judge, who was previously the chief counsel of the Federal Aviation Administration, said he was most concerned by testimony that the corrupt baggage handlers had dismantled an airplane wing to remove hidden drugs, making changes that could have brought the plane down during a flight. He said he wanted to deter others from committing such acts.

Mr. Bourne spoke briefly, saying that the government built its case on “false evidence.” Then he sat silently in the courtroom, looking occasionally at several relatives who fought back tears.

Mr. Bourne’s mother, Maria Alleyne, who was acquitted of money-laundering charges in connection with the drug scheme and was described by prosecutors as having placed a voodoo curse on them during the trial, waited outside the courtroom during the sentencing.

Mr. Bourne, 37, a native of Barbados, bought cocaine in bulk and arranged for baggage handlers in Barbados and other Caribbean countries to hide it on New York-bound planes, several American Airlines employees testified. He smoothed the way by bribing his supervisors.

The hiding spots depended on the planes. On Boeing 757s, the Barbadian baggage handlers hid bricks of cocaine among loose bags and freight. On 767s, which are larger, they stowed the drugs in giant containers that were filled with luggage at the terminal and then loaded onto the planes. On Airbus A300s, they found spaces behind wall and ceiling panels in the cargo hold.

Prosecutors estimated that the organization imported 330 pounds of cocaine, which was sold for about $8,000 a pound. The government is also seeking a $5.1 million forfeiture from Mr. Bourne.

[left screenshot is of the suspect, the right shot is of his mom, who is putting voodoo curses on everyone involved with her son being locked up]

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Plenty of hiding spots on aircraft, especially outside the pressurized cabin area. Lots of room behind access panels and in nooks and crannies.

Except, if something comes loose--depending on the location--it could jam the controls or touch wires, etc. and cause an incident.

Aviation is different from other industries in that endangering planeloads of people gets you one step below the death penalty. Even minor violations in regulatory requirements will earn gigantic fines and jail time.

For instance, if you as a pilot get a DUI there's a good chance (probably 100%) your pilot's license will get pulled and you'll never get it back. And you must report a DUI. If the FAA finds out through other reporting channels--and they check--you'll get hammered even worse.It's a double hit: you'll be medically disqualified as well as administratively showing poor judgment.

Or if a mechanic signs off that he performed a maintenance task but really didn't...heavy fine and certain loss of A&P license, even jail if it's egregious enough. Which means you'll never work on an airplane again. Ever.